The Hindu Business Line : Targeting housewives

I am neither desperate nor a housewife," says a young professional when asked if she watches the weekly show Desperate Housewives on Star World. For many independent, career-oriented women living in cities such as Mumbai and Kolkata, the name of the show could be a deterrent... if not its content.

Yet, Desperate Housewives is slowly gaining viewership among the urban upwardly mobile, who plan their weekends around television shows.

Though the show is set in an American suburb, the ludicrousness and hypocrisies of people's lives are seemingly universal. There is a certain element of reality in Desperate Housewives and yet it is distant enough for the viewer to want to dissociate from such drama.

The show's official synopsis says that this hour-long drama takes a dark humorous look at suburbia where the secret lives of housewives aren't always what they seem.The show has all the elements of a bestseller — the formula, intrigue, mystery and a whiff of black comedy.

So, you have Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong), Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) — the single mom, Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross) and Gabrielle Solis. And there are some men too in the show — Mike Delfino (James Denton), Rex Van De Kamp (Steven Culp), Gabrielle's husband Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) and Mary Alice's husband Paul (Mark Moses).

Though some situations in the show are quite predictable, there is a curiosity to know the turn of events. Don't we enjoy our dose of voyeurism?

Desperate Housewives could not have come at a better time, says a viewer. "Had this show come some four years ago it would have bombed," she says. "Sex and the City on HBO took the lead, but Desperate Housewives is benefiting."

If Kaun Banega Crorepati helped Star Plus to the top slot among general entertainment channels in India, Desperate Housewives resurrected ABC from a financial mess. The Star group, which seems to hit right on the target, appears to have got it right again with Desperate Housewives.

Showcasing talent

For those seeking some fame and a celebrity status, there is no dearth of talent shows on television. If Sony did it with Indian Idol, Channel V did it with Super Singers. Sony is back with Fame Gurukul, a show that does not seem to enthuse viewers like the Indian Idol did.

Zee, another big broadcaster, has also introduced a newly formatted Sa Re Ga Ma Pa primarily aimed at showcasing talent.

Zee earlier showcased an acting talent hunt through its Cinestar Ki Khoj. Channel V's Super Singer had high-profile judges in music director A.R. Rahman and singer Adnan Sami. Harsha Ki Khoj on ESPN-Star Sports offered an opportunity for `wannabe' sports anchors. Regional channels have an equal dose of talent shows to choose from.

The proliferating media and entertainment sector in India has thrown up huge opportunities for talented youngsters, with competitions that promise fame, money or a career.

The regional space

In the broadcast space, there is a whole world out there in regional and religious channels, apart from the Hindi entertainment channels.

Sun TV is the oft-repeated example of a channel with its own dedicated and loyal viewers not just in Tamil Nadu but across the country as well. Almost every community has its favourite regional channels, be it in Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi or Malayalam. There are many channels within the regional space, clearly indicating that not only is the advertising pie getting divided but also viewer attention.

There is a large advertising market yet to be tapped in regional India; with the cost of content and programming being considerably lower for these channels, the possibilities seem endless.

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